Discovered Treasures: Flying Magazines
This past weekend, I picked up a bunch of treasures from the 40s that I use for reference and research in writing my novels.
My favorite discovery:
These magazines are full of articles and ads that testify to the full-fledge war effort in America in 1943 and 1944. I’ll review some of these articles and post some ads in upcoming blogs.
Flying Magazine is still in print today – from the magazine’s press kit:
“FLYING Magazine, published since 1927, is written for and read by the pilots who actively use general aviation for both personal and business travel. Since its inception, FLYING has been the voice of aviation, read by current and would-be pilots who value the authoritative judgments and engaging first-hand experience of the most qualified editorial staff in aviation. It is the inspiration for people who are passionate about aviation and a valued resource for the segment of licensed pilots who actively fly.”
I can’t wait to dive into the magazines and reveal the other treasures I discovered from the 40s!
More to come!
Read MoreReview: Bonhoeffer
Pastor, Prophet, Martyr, Spy. That truly says it all. Out of a host of thousands upon millions of inspirational stories from those who defied Hitler during his reign of terror, comes the biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a man who was a constant student of life, religion and God.
Dietrich came from a family of greats. His father was a world renown psychiatry professor and grandfather a high ranking judiciary official. His mother’s lineage boasted of political activists and theologians. Bonhoeffer’s brothers became lawyers or scientists, yet Dietrich followed the calling in his heart to become a theologian. The profession was not looked upon with respect among the higher-class circles in which the Bonhoeffers resided.
The biography of Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas is an exciting, beautifully detailed work of art that shares the extraordinary life of this man.
Over the years, he traveled to Britain, America, Rome, India and beyond, absorbing the cultures and religions like a sponge. When Hitler assumed power, the Bonhoeffer family treaded carefully, though they were always opposed to him. Bonhoeffer always stood for the rights of the Jews and the church despite the dangerous times.
“If you board the wrong train it is no use running along the corridor in the opposite direction.” –D. Bonhoeffer
Bonhoeffer stuck to his convictions. With the outbreak of World War II, Bonhoeffer would play a pivotal role in the Valkerie plot to assassinate Hitler. He served knowing he faced his own death, but held firm in his cause.
This book is full of action, love and faith and shares an unforgettable story about an unforgettable figure in history.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book through Thomas Nelson’s Booksneeze program. I am not required to give positive reviews – just my honest opinion. And I honestly loved this book!
Read MoreStudy on WWII Germany
Are there ever periods where you seem to have a common thread in all the books you’re reading?
Lately, it’s been a thread linking the movies I’ve seen and the books I’m studying. What’s that tie? Germany during and after World War II.
It began with The Good German by Joseph Kanon, which was later turned into a movie (that I hope to see soon!). This book gets to the heart of Germany’s slow and painful recovery after the Allies claim victory in Europe.
The Good German is the story of an American reporter who returns to Berlin to find a woman he’d had an affair with before he fled Berlin at the start of the war. In those years, everything has changed: the landscape, the people, the line between good and evil.
This book tackles the guilt of the German people and the effect the Nazi’s had on the people.
Along those same lines, I watched both “Miracle at St. Anna” and “The Reader” in the past week. While “St.Anna” is an inspirational and heart-wrenching story about the black soldiers, it deals with the later repercussions of war on the heart and mind.
“The Reader” (also a best-selling book by Bernhard Schlink) was far from what I expected. The post World War II story of a boy who has an affair with an older woman, only to see her ten years later on trial for war crimes.
This reached a deeper level of the German people’s reaction to the sins of their fathers during Nazi reign. The question is, “How could you have let that happen?”
The woman hides an even deeper secret that she will go to prison for life to protect. The atrocities at Auschwitz echo to this day and for every soul, and this story questions who deserves the punishment for those crimes.
Next on my to-read list: The Book Thief (1939 Germany young adult fiction) and Bonhoeffer (new nonfiction release from Thomas Nelson about the life of a pastor and spy who went against Nazi Germany)
I’ll update you with the latest reads in upcoming posts. For now, I’ll leave you with these words:
Read More“Silence in the face of evil is evil itself. God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” - Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Part II: Interview with Sarah Sundin
Sarah's first novel!
Here is part two of my interview with Sarah Sundin.
As noted in one of the comments to part one, you are big on accuracy. Why do you think accuracy so important in historical fiction?
Because inaccuracy totally bugs me. I’ll never forget a Little House on the Prairie episode where someone gave Laura a peanut butter sandwich. I had just read a biography about George Washington Carver and I knew peanut butter hadn’t been invented at that time. Things like that pull an informed reader out of the story-world you’ve worked hard immersing them in. However, the more I research, the more I realize I don’t know. Despite my best efforts, there will be errors, which makes me cringe, but it can’t be avoided. A deeper reason for accuracy is to enrich the story. Those details add vibrancy and make the reader feel like she’s right there.
Will you give me a quick synopsis of your books? When are the release dates?
The “Wings of Glory” series follows the three Novak brothers, B-17 bomber pilots with the US Eighth Air Force stationed in England during World War II.
A Distant Melody releases in March 2010. Never pretty enough to please her gorgeous mother, Allie will do anything to gain her approval—even marry a man she doesn’t love. Lt. Walter Novak—fearless in the cockpit but hopeless with women—takes his last furlough at home in California before being shipped overseas. Walt and Allie meet at a wedding and their love of music draws them together, prompting them to begin a correspondence that will change their lives. As letters fly between Walt’s muddy bomber base in England and Allie’s mansion in an orange grove, their friendship binds them together. But can they untangle the secrets, commitments, and expectations that keep them apart?
Under His Wings (working title) releases Fall 2010: Maj. Jack Novak has never failed to meet a challenge—until he meets Lt. Ruth Doherty, a striking nurse with a shameful secret. While Jack leads his squadron in the most savage air battles of the war, Ruth trains to become a flight nurse to better support her orphaned siblings. Can they confront their deepest sins, face their greatest fears, and learn to trust and to love?
Till Blue Skies Return (working title) releases Fall 2011. Lt. Raymond Novak prefers the pulpit to the cockpit, but his stateside job training B-17 pilots allows him to court Helen Carlisle, a widowed mother who conceals her pain under a frenzy of volunteer work. The sparks of their romance set a fire that flings them both into peril. Ray leaves to fly a combat mission at the peak of the air war over Europe, while Helen takes a job at a dangerous munitions yard and faces an even graver menace in her own home. Can they both find the courage to face their challenges?
What was the biggest struggle on the road to publication?
My biggest struggle was fighting discouragement in the years I received “good” rejection letters. For five years I heard, “We don’t want historicals. Do you have any chick lit?” I didn’t. I’m just not a pedicure/spa/$500 purse kind of girl.
I often wondered if I was wasting my time writing. I kept giving it back to God and asking for His direction, and He kept telling me to finish the series. Then at the 2008 Mount Hermon Christian Writers’ Conference, I heard, “Chick lit is dead. We need historicals.” There I was with two polished manuscripts and the third book completely outlined. I submitted to Vicki Crumpton at Revell, and in September they offered me a three-book contract.
What advice do you have for newbie authors?
Read MoreBe teachable and soak up all the good instruction you can. Read books on writing craft, and then read your favorite authors and analyze how they did it.
Join ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers)! Their e-zine, e-mail loop, and monthly courses are outstanding—like a mini-writers’ conference in your inbox every day.
Join a local writers’ group if available or an on-line critique group. Not only will your writing improve, but you’ll meet other writers. We’re an odd lot really. We work in solitude. We talk to our characters. We have strange interests (how many women do you know who get excited about B-17 manuals?). We need each other.
Don’t submit to agents and editors until you’re ready. That means a complete manuscript, positive feedback from experienced writers, and enough knowledge of the publishing industry to know how to submit properly. You want your first impression to be stellar.
Lastly, when you’re ready, submit and keep submitting. Keep polishing your craft, and keep praying for the Lord’s guidance.
Interview with Sarah Sundin
- Sarah Sundin
Sarah Sundin is a speaker and writer whose first novel, A Distant Melody, is set to be released in January 2010 by Revell. She has just submitted her second book and was kind enough to answer my questions. For more information, visit her website.
What town do you reside in?
Antioch, California. Yep, the Antioch made infamous by the Jaycee Dugard kidnapping. Honestly, it’s a nice, family-oriented suburb that still has a small-town feel.
When did you first start writing?
January 6, 2000. How’s that for exact? Growing up, I always made up stories, but I knew they weren’t any good. In 2000—after college, pharmacy school, and three babies—I woke one morning from a dream with characters who wouldn’t leave me alone. I played with their story while scrubbing toilets and changing diapers and realized I had to write their story. That book will never and should never be published, but it got me started.
Who are your major influences (in writing)?
That’s hard to pinpoint when you’ve read a lot. It may be cliché, but an author I keep coming back to is Jane Austen. She has it all—laugh-out-loud humor, snappy dialogue, well-drawn characters, and endings that make you feel all warm and gooey inside. Another thing I love about Austen is that the rogues turn out to be—well, rogues, while the heroes are quiet men of integrity. Most romances hold up the “bad boy” as hero, and I don’t think that’s healthy. Too many women follow that example and choose charm over character—and regret it.
What draws you to the World War II era?
Besides the cute clothes and men in uniform? First of all, there are so many dramatic stories and settings—a novelist’s dream. This was a time when ordinary men had to do extraordinary things, and when women first explored non-traditional roles—while remaining ladies. Plus, I’ve always been fond of that generation, my grandparents’ generation. As a pharmacy resident at a VA hospital, I had the honor of caring for many of these men. As a rule, they were cheerful, kind, and chivalrous, with the solid strength of someone who has been tested—and passed. What more could you want in a hero?
Sarah's first novel - read more about it in part two of her interview!
What do you enjoy most about writing historical fiction?
The creative, dreamy part of me loves to lose myself in the era, but the science nerd in me loves the research. I have to be careful not to get sucked into the research black hole. I need enough research to make the story accurate and realistic, but at some point, I have to stop and actually write the story.
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